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Reflections (standard:non fiction, 918 words) | |||
Author: Lauren H. | Added: Aug 30 2007 | Views/Reads: 3194/0 | Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes) |
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I am basically just a country girl. I feel like a fish out of water for the past 13 years. I had to move away from my country home to the small city where I was born. When I say small city I mean a total population of 40,000. The urban areas and suburbs surrounding this city are growing at an alarming rate. I live within the city limits on a nice quiet street with lots of trees and squirrels. On Sunday mornings I can pretend that I am still living in the country. What I miss most about country living is the sound of nothing except nature. Bugs flying, birds singing, etc. My father's parents were mountain people. They were reared on farms where orchards grew and everyone pretty much lived off the land. They survived the great depression. They carried the habits of conserving and using everything three times or more before throwing it away to their old age. They married in their early twenties and had a big family. My father was one of many siblings. He told me that he grew up feeing sort of lost in the shuffle. A middle child among middle children. He was insecure and carried that insecurity to his adulthood. He did not succeed at happiness with his marriage to my mother. They divorced and gave up me and the others for adoption. His parents took me. They were in their early 60's when they began to rear me. What a generation gap! I remember feeling like I really didn't fit in anywhere until I was a teen. Then I began to gather some self-confidence and courage. I found my solace during hard times in the study of nature. I loved to go hiking, bike riding all by myself and on fishing excursions to a small creek near my home. I took my dog and a picnic lunch. It was my escape. Just to get outdoors. My early life was lived in the country in a old farm house. We didn't have a bathroom. We used an outhouse and chamber pots. We only had indoor plumbing in the kitchen. We washed clothes with a ringer washer and hung them out on a clothesline. We took baths in a tin tub that we filled with water that was heated on a stove. We raised chickens and had a big garden. We pretty much lived off the land until I was 7 years old. Then we moved to a new house when my Granddad got a good job. Those early years were tough sometimes, but I have a lot of fond memories of them as well. We didn't have a telephone. Our TV was black and white. We were only allowed to watch one hour of TV each day. We had regular chores to do. I entertained myself with make believe games. I made my own paper dolls and wrote little stories about them. One of my favorite things to do was explore the attic and dress up in old clothes. I loved my pets and always had cats and dogs. I found that I related more to animals than to people. When I grew older I found it exciting to go visit my first cousins who lived in this small city where I was born. They were bold and free. Their parents gave them a lot of freedom. They hung around with a group of neighborhood kids who did naughty things on a dare. I was a bit shocked at times by their shenanigans. Their friends called me the hick from the country and made fun of the way I talked. I always enjoyed drawing and painting. In high school I began to explore my artistic talents. Art and photography became an important outlet for me. Another escape from reality. But also a self-esteem booster. I married for the first time at age 18, for the second time at age 37 and for the third time at age 43. I am done with marriage now. They say the third time is the charm. Well, maybe it is. I am happy sometimes and sad sometimes. I think I would be that way no matter whether I was married or not. I find that I like being married. My husband and I are good friends and we try to take care of one another. But I do not want to do it anymore after this one. I have two beautiful adult daughters and five young grandchildren. I love my family and feel very blessed to have them. I still like to express my artistic nature. Now I do all my photography with my digital camera. I use my PC software and printer to make my photos just perfect. I share them via email with my friends all over the US and some overseas. The information technology age is great! I love to write. I don't think that I am very good at it. But I really enjoy it. I recently took a short vacation to the eastern shore. I stayed in a small bayside town. It was very charming and very quiet. It was only an hour's drive from ocean resorts. I liked it so much there that I want to go back and find a place to live there. Start a new life there. I have lived in this place for 13 years and in this county all of my life. I am tired of it and I want a change. Tweet
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Lauren H. has 3 active stories on this site. Profile for Lauren H., incl. all stories Email: laurelshere7@yahoo.com |